The present invention relates generally to medical devices, and more particularly to a universal control console for operating with a variety of medical devices. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to the design of a universal medical equipment control console that interfaces with a variety of handheld medical instruments, and the method to control the same.
Conventional medical equipment design typically requires separate, dedicated hardware and software control modules for each handheld medical device. Each of these devices requires a graphical display, microprocessor, interface circuitry and software to operate the medical device, and to provide the operator with pertinent status/action information. An “operator” is defined as any medical personnel capable of operating the medical device. The operator may be a nurse, a medical doctor, or a medical assistant.
The graphical user interface (GUI) will vary from device to device, thereby resulting in additional cost for operator training, proficiency, and certification. As the number of dedicated control modules increases, surgical and storage spaces must necessarily increase, as must the complexity of inventory logistics.
What is needed is a universal control console that can control a variety of medical devices, thereby eliminating the need for separate, dedicated control hardware for each medical device.